The Michigan Association for Children with Emotional Disorders Records include newsletters, minutes, flyers, programs, and correspondence related to the functioning of both the state organization as well as local chapters. The Michigan Association for Children with Emotional Disorders Records (3.5 linear feet) date from 1958 to 1991, but the bulk of the material covers the period 1958 to 1980. The collection is arranged in two series: State Organizational Materials and Chapter Materials.
Founded in 1957 by parents, mental health professionals, and educators who recognized the need for citizen action on behalf of mentally ill children and their families, the Michigan Association for Children with Emotional Disorders (MACED) has continued for over 40 years to promote change at a grassroots level. The organization's mission is "to help families find educational, mental health, and other services for children with emotional disorders as well as to encourage and enhance the public's understanding and support of these children, their families and the services they desperately need."
MACED advocates for individual children and lobbies to influence state lawmakers, emphasizing active parent involvement in the organization. Parents, as leaders, bring personal experiences and add a sense of urgency to the organization's efforts. Their contribution, coupled with the active participation of professional workers, has enabled the organization to affect change over the years. In its early years, the organization worked to create separate psychiatric facilities for children, who were at that time treated in adult facilities. In the 1990s, MACED sued the Michigan Department of Mental Health and 12 community mental health boards to prevent the state from continuing to close long-term children's psychiatric facilities or to reduce their staff. In 2002, MACED established a juvenile justice initiative to provide direct services to children confronted with juvenile charges and to develop systematic approaches for diverting children from the criminal system and into the mental health system.
Originally named the Michigan Association for Emotionally Disturbed Children, MACED is organized into a number of chapters throughout the state, with a central statewide office based in Southfield and a regional office in Kalamazoo. Sam Davis served as Executive Director from 1960 to 1969, and the current Executive Director is Susan McParland, serving since February 2001. MACED has been and currently remains a United Way agency, also receiving funding from private donations.
